


The Russian Connection

by Suzie_Shooter



Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz, Life
Genre: Abduction, Assassins & Hitmen, Betrayal, Crossover, M/M, Mistaken Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-24
Updated: 2012-03-24
Packaged: 2017-11-02 11:25:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/368456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzie_Shooter/pseuds/Suzie_Shooter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Detective Dani Reese gets into the wrong car, the paths of two very different men begin to cross. </p><p>Written for the prompt "Charlie Crews vs Yassen. Since both approach their jobs from unusual angles." Because who could resist Damian Lewis vs Damian Lewis?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Russian Connection

**Author's Note:**

> Set before the Life series 2 episode "Trapdoor" (no spoilers).

There were four pictures pinned to the board. Three men, one woman. All displaying unmistakeable signs of being deceased, primarily the neat bullet hole in the middle of each forehead. 

"So what you're saying is we got nothing?" Tidwell sighed and slumped in the doorway. "They never met, they worked in different fields, they didn't share - a religion, a sexuality, a political affiliation. Jeez for all we know they were shot for being Justin Bieber fans."

"Who?" Crews turned from the window frowning.

"Singer," clarified Reese. Then shrugged. "Arguably."

"Do you think that's worth following - "

"Joke." Tidwell cut across him irritably and Crews exchanged glances with his partner, perched on the table next to her.

"Nothing," Tidwell repeated disgustedly, glaring at the four photographs. "Nothing to connect them."

"Well they're all dead," Reese offered.

"No flies on you, are there Detective?" Tidwell asked sarcastically and she made a face at his back.

"No, she's right." Crews was on his feet again, staring distantly at the board. "They're all here, that connects them in itself. All shot a day apart, all shot using the same weapon, all killed cleanly, expertly."

"Dead centre," put in Dani and the others looked at her. "What?" 

"By a professional," Crews continued.

Reese frowned. "These weren't professional criminals."

"They were all in prominent positions in their respective careers." Crews tapped the second photo. "And Kursov was Russian. We know a Russian, don't we Reese?"

"Roman?" Reese raised her eyebrows sceptically. "I know you're all about the connections Crews but isn't that jump a bit simplistic even for you?"

"Have you ever heard of Occam's Razor, Reese?" 

Tidwell shifted his weight thoughtfully. "Wasn't he that guy with the three foot beard you two brought in last month?"

Crews opened his mouth, hesitated, closed it again. "No. Um, no actually, it wasn't."

"Go on Crews." Dani stared at him, wondering where he was going with this.

"Roman isn't a criminal either." He held his hand up as the other two started to object. "Not provably. Yet. So - in the eyes of the law, he's just the same as these. If you're right at the top you don't get your own hands dirty."

"You think he's employing someone to take these people out?"

Crews held her gaze. "We need to know what he stands to gain." 

\--

"You were right." Reese dropped a stack of files on his desk, scattering lychees. Crews snatched one out of the air as it shot off the edge. 

"I was?"

"Yep. Been digging into Nevikov's semi-legitimate business interests. His subsidiaries have just made significant takeovers in four unconnected areas."

"All of which have experienced a sudden and unexpected vacancy?"

"Yep." 

Crews tapped his pen on the desk, tilted his head. "Connection." 

"Does it help us?" 

"What else is he into? Any other sectors where he could do with a boost?"

Dani stared. "You think he's going to keep going?"

"Why stop a winning strategy?" He looked at his hand. "Lychee?"

Dani screwed up her nose. "No thanks. Like eating eyeballs."

"How do you know?" he called after her, but she'd already gone.

\--

The interior of the car was baking hot and Dani pushed her sunglasses up to the top of her head, rubbed the sweat from the bridge of her nose. 

"You really think he'll strike here today?"

"Worth a shot. Hey, _worth a shot_!" Crews grinned hopefully. 

"Yeah. Ha ha." She opened the car door, and swung out.

"Where you going?"

"Closer look."

\--

Scrutiny of Nevikov's company interests had turned up a couple of potential areas of expansion. Further digging had revealed the Managing Director of a rival firm was due to unveil a presentation in a public ceremony the following afternoon. Leading to the two of them pushing their way through a jostling crowd in late summer heat while keeping a wary eye on the surrounding rooftops.

Armed response teams had been placed in discreet locations watching the environs, the potential target was wearing a bulletproof vest and had refused to delay his speech. Although, as Crews pointed out, the victims so far had all been headshots. Whoever the sniper was, he wasn’t taking chances.

They were still some rows from the front when abruptly and with no warning, the man at the podium crumpled mid-sentence. There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and as it became obvious he hadn't just been taken ill, they began jostling to get away in panic.

With a jarring moment of truth Crews realised that the shot hadn’t come from a rifle at long range, it had come from someone _in the crowd_. 

What kind of man performed a hit surrounded by hundreds of witnesses? 

Crews looked again at the milling, panicking crowd and saw only camouflage.

\--

In fighting against the flow of people, they'd quickly become separated. Struggling through what felt like a tangle of screaming elbows, Dani saw Crews hurry past in the opposite direction and yelled. 

"Crews. Hey, Crews!" He ignored her and she turned exasperatedly to follow him.

Reese barged her way through the crowd, easier now she was going the same way, raising her speed to match his, getting increasingly irate as he continued to ignore her. As the mêlée thinned, he broke free and slid into the driver's side of a car waiting at the roadway. Dani pulled open the passenger door and threw herself in even as it was starting to accelerate away. 

"Crews! What the hell do you think you're - " 

She tailed off, as the driver turned to stare at her, startled and angry, and she finally realised her mistake. It wasn’t Crews. This man - there was a striking resemblance, sure, and he was wearing the same white shirt, but up close - his hair was closer to blond, and he had a lighter build. And his eyes - his eyes were cold.

"Who the hell are you? Get out of my car!" He slammed on the brake and they screeched to a stop as quickly as they had begun to accelerate.

Dani's stuttered apology died on her lips as the rapid stop caused something to slide out from beneath the driver's seat. A compact and lethal looking handgun, fitted with a silencer.

"It was you." Her eyes flitted from the gun to his face, even as his took in the badge at her belt. Without thinking, her own gun was in her hand and he raised his hands lightly in cautious surrender.

"Turn off the engine," she ordered.

He watched her, carefully. "I'm just going to show you some ID, okay?" His right hand moved, slowly, unthreateningly towards the glovebox. 

Her eyes automatically tracked the movement, and as soon as her attention moved with it, he hit out sharply with his left.

An explosion of stars at the front and then the back as her head hit the window, and everything went black.

\--

Voices, muffled, through a haze of pain. Without opening her eyes Dani tried to clear her head enough to take stock of her surroundings. She was lying on her back, on something reasonably soft. Hands were bound behind her with what felt like tape, ankles similarly constrained. No gag though, that was good. 

She concentrated on what she could hear. Two voices, one the man from the car, the second - also male, sounding rather younger. Slightly different accent too, this one unmistakably British. They were discussing her.

"So what are you going to do with her? Why did you even bring her here?" 

"You'd prefer I left her shot by the side of the road?"

Dani didn't like the faint amusement colouring that sentence, and was grateful for the immediate response it garnered.

"No! Yassen!"

"Shh. I think she's awake."

Dani gave up the pretence and opened her eyes. The two men were looking down at her, although as she blinked the blurriness out of her vision she realised the second was closer to a boy.

She licked dry lips. "You are in deep shit," she managed.

Her captor didn't dignify that with a reply, just gave a tilt of the head that managed to take in the fact that it was she who was bound and immobile and hardly in any position to be making threats.

"Fine. Then let me go now and you'll be in less trouble that you might be."

"Sorry Detective Reese. But you've seen too much."

"How do you - oh." She saw her ID lying on the table across the room. Together, annoyingly, with her gun and phone. Fine. May as well go for the whole bluff then.

"You're right. We know all about you. The game's up."

The look of mild amusement hadn’t gone from his face and she was developing a really strong urge to punch him in it. 

"I don’t think so. When you got into my car - that was a mistake, a coincidence. You thought I was someone else."

"And that someone would say there was no such thing as coincidence." She tried again. "We know you're working for Nevikov." 

A hit, possibly. He gave nothing away, but the lack of denial suggested the name wasn't unknown. 

"You're bluffing, I think. No matter. It's too late for you to do any damage."

Dani went cold. "You're just going to kill me?"

"No!" The objection had come from the boy, who Dani was rapidly deciding she liked a lot more than his companion.

"You have a better plan?" Yassen sighed.

"You - can't just kill her."

The sudden unexpected ringing of a phone made Dani jump, and they all looked round curiously. It was her phone, lying on the table, chirping irritably.

Yassen wandered over and picked it up, read the display. "Crews?" Looking back at Dani.

"My partner. I - thought you were him."

"I hope I didn't disappoint you." Yassen looked thoughtful and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Who's this?" Crews demanded, coldly. He'd spent a hot and increasingly frustrated half hour trying to find Reese in the crowd but irritation gave way to alarm at a stranger answering her phone.

"I'm afraid Detective Reese can't come to the phone right now. She's a little - tied up."

From her position on the couch Dani watched the boy give an exaggerated eyeroll and Yassen shrugged in response. Great. Her life was in the balance and they were pissing about as if it was all just a game. Although if that's what it was to them she could be in a lot more danger than she'd thought.

"I'm assuming you mean that literally?" Crews leaned back against the side of the car and closed his eyes to listen better, trying to hear background noises, Reese, anything.

"You assume correctly. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement. She is rather - surplus to my requirements at this point. I just need to keep her out of circulation for another day or so."

"While you kill someone else, am I right? No deal."

"Your choice."

Dani frowned, wishing she could hear the other half of the conversation. 

"I want to speak to her," Crews demanded. 

"Alright." Yassen held the phone out towards Dani and nodded. "Tell him you're not dead. Yet."

"Crews?" Her voice sounded hoarse and she gabbled over the concerned voice on the other end. "He's the sniper, he is working for Roman, name's Yassen I think, there's someone else, a boy, he's British - " she came to an abrupt stop as suddenly there was a knife in his hand pressed very tightly to her throat.

"Bad choice. You do that again, I'll cut your tongue out." There was no anger in his tone, only a cold certainly, and Dani tried very hard not to move.

Yassen put the phone back to his ear. 

"So there you go. Very much alive, at this point in time. How long she continues that way depends on how sensible you are. Perhaps also, on how irritating she gets." 

"You listen to me. You hurt her, in any way, I will find you, and I will kill you."

"Is that right. Good luck with that." Yassen hung up and tossed the phone back onto the table. "Apparently if I hurt you'll he'll kill me." There was the suggestion of a smile playing at his lips. "Not your typical American cop's response."

"Crews isn't your typical American cop." Dani let her head fall back against the cushions as the threat of having her throat cut appeared to have diminished for the immediate future.

Yassen was looking thoughtful. "I don't have time to baby-sit. I need you out of my life, Detective Reese." He was interrupted by the beeping of another phone, a different ringtone. Pulled his own out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. Dani's peace of mind was not comforted by the look he threw her.

Picking up, he wandered a few paces away, carrying on a conversation entirely in Russian. Dani's attention switched to the boy. He was standing with his arms wrapped round himself, looking uncomfortable. She tried to silently attract his attention, but when he realised what she was doing he looked away stubbornly. 

And then in the flow of words she was only half-listening to, she heard her own name. 

Yassen hung up and smiled unpleasantly. "It appears my employer is considerably interested in taking you off my hands."

Dani went cold. "You can't give me to Nevikov. You can't!" 

"No one knows where you are detective. So yes, I can. He sounded - keen to be reunited with you."

"You said you wouldn't hurt her!" The boy had moved, finally, into Yassen's way as he turned towards the door. He frowned. 

"No. I didn't. And you'll stay out of this." Yassen pushed him back against the wall and held him there with one hand. "If you know what's good for you," he added, in low tone. Watching from the sofa, Dani was startled as he proceeded to deliver a roughly possessive kiss to the boy's mouth before striding out of the room.

The boy stayed where he was, looking miserable.

"What's your name?" Dani called, quietly. He looked up, finally, drifting closer.

"Alex," he muttered, after considering the relative dangers of telling her.

"I can help you, Alex," she offered, trying to catch his eye. But he snorted derisively.

"You can’t even help yourself."

"Alex - if he's hurting you - I can help you. Believe me."

The look Alex threw her was anything but friendly. "Trust me. Whatever you think you know? You don't have a fucking clue."

Dani swallowed, trying to keep her patience. Suspecting with a spike of annoyance that Crews would be a lot better at talking to the kid than she was. "Fine. Then can you help me? You didn't want him to kill me. But if he gives me to Roman that's what'll happen. Worse."

Alex looked torn. "What'll he do to you?" 

"What do you think? And when he's bored with me? Well the last woman who crossed him he threw out of a window."

"I can't help you." Alex threw an anxious glance at the door.

"Then fetch someone who can. Get to Crews. Tell him what's happening. _Please_."

She could sense him wavering. "Alex. You don't want my blood on your hands, I can tell that. If I tell you where he'll be you can get a message to him. That's all you need to do. Yassen will never know."

Alex scribbled down the address reluctantly, stuck it in his pocket. "How will I know him?"

"Trust me. You'll know."

\--

The house was huge. Having rung the bell Alex stared at the expanse of grounds with misgivings. This was definitely the address she'd given him but he'd never imagined a policeman living in a place like this.

The door opened and he jumped, stared awkwardly at the grey haired man who'd opened it. He looked friendly enough.

"Um. I was looking for - Detective Crews?"

"Oh." He looked back over his shoulder into the house. "Charlie? Someone for you."

"Who is it?"

The man who appeared at his shoulder struck Alex dumb. He stared, wide-eyed and speechless for a second, while they both looked back at him curiously.

"Yes?" Crews prompted, slightly impatient.

"She was right," Alex managed. "She said I'd recognise you. Wow. Freaky."

"Freaky huh? Definitely you then," said the man who'd opened the door with a smirk. 

"Ted - " 

"Yeah, I know, shut up." Ted grinned and went back inside, leaving them alone on the doorstep.

"She - ?" Crews looked guardedly eager and Alex sighed. 

"Detective Reese."

Crews grabbed his arm and Alex pulled away sharply.

"You know where she is?" 

Alex hesitated. "I know where she'll be. But first I want some guarantees."

\--

The vacant lot was dark but for one struggling streetlight at the corner, and Alex pulled his coat closer against the unseasonal wind. He looked at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes and Yassen shot him a glance. 

"You're very jittery for someone who insisted on coming."

"I'm just cold," Alex muttered. He looked over at where Reese was standing handcuffed to the fence. She met his eyes and he looked away hurriedly. Looked at his watch again, staring round the perimeter of the space. Unaware that Yassen was still staring at him, frown starting to form between his eyes. 

At the end of the street, car headlights suddenly lit up the three figures, and Yassen watched as Alex immediately checked his watch again and looked in the other direction. Followed his gaze to where another car was now creeping closer, without lights. 

"Alex?" he stepped forward, grabbed his arm, shook him. "Alex, what have you done?"

"Nothing, I - I haven't - " 

But the guilt was plain on his face, and under the force of Yassen's glare he crumbled. "I'm sorry - "

"Shit." Yassen dragged his phone out and dialled, firing rapid instructions at someone in Russian. 

Reese watched as the approaching car abruptly accelerated into a squealing turn and disappeared in the direction it had come from while the second car raced up and slewed to a halt opposite them. 

Crews, looking furious, gun already trained on Yassen, slid out of the driver's seat. 

"No!" Alex flung himself in front of Yassen, pressing back against him, arms wide as if he could fend off bullets like that. "You _promised_. Just take her and get out of here."

Crews shook his head slightly, not taking his eyes from Yassen. "Can't do that I'm afraid Alex. This man's killed five people in the last week. I can't let him go, I'm sorry."

"Can't trust anyone these days apparently," Yassen murmured, arm across Alex's chest.

Alex dragged in a desperate sobbing breath. "I didn't - it wasn't meant - I'd never - "

Crews tightened the grip on his weapon. "You always hide behind kids, big man?"

"I'm not a kid!" Alex spat back, but Yassen inclined his head slightly, conceding the point. He gripped Alex's shoulder, turning him.

"Alex." 

"No! I won't let him - " 

"Alex. For once do as I say." Yassen cupped his jaw, rubbed a thumb over his cheek. "It'll be alright," he said more quietly. "Trust me." 

Alex stared at him, stricken, but let Yassen push him away. 

Crews met his eyes, nodded once in recognition of the gesture. 

"Let her go," he ordered Alex, still not taking his eyes from the Russian. Alex hesitated until Yassen too nodded agreement, and he went to release Reese from the cuffs. 

She ran over to Crews, rubbing her wrists.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Crews, tell me you've got back-up?"

"I'm hurt you'd think otherwise." She snorted and he smiled for the first time. "How about you redeploy those cuffs on our friend here?"

"With pleasure." 

Yassen held out his wrists without objection, eyeing her with a cold disinterest as she cuffed him and then frisked him, removing two guns and the knife. Alex watched this in increasing distress, and when a squad car pulled up at the kerb discharging two uniforms he lurched forward. 

"Yassen!" 

"Stay back," Crews ordered, gun not wavering. 

Yassen locked gazes with Alex, but remained silent as he was pushed none too gently into the back of the squad car.

"Alex - " As the car pulled away Reese came up to him and was startled at the look of hate he gave her. 

"I should have let him give you to Roman," Alex hissed through clenched teeth, for all his anger looking like he was trying not to cry.

"That's enough of that. Come on, let's get you out of here." Crews clapped a hand on his shoulder, guiding him towards his own car.

Alex took in the bullet holes riddling the paintwork and raised an eyebrow, but got into the back with Reese, sulkily silent. 

Two blocks away, and they were stuck in a horn-blaring jam of traffic. 

"This city just gets worse," Dani groaned.

"There's some sort of hold up," Crews said, craning to see between the cars as they came to a complete halt. He slid out of the car and stood on the door sill, peering ahead into the darkness. "Wait. It's a squad car, blocking the - oh, no, no no." He set off at a run through the traffic leaving Dani and Alex staring at each other. 

"Stay here," she ordered, opening the door. 

"Stuff that," Alex shot back, following her out. "If they've hurt him - "

They glared at each other for a second, then both followed Crews down the line of traffic.

The hold-up was indeed the car that had left minutes before them, slewed across two of the three lanes of westbound traffic, rear door open. 

Containing two very dead uniforms.

Crews straightened up grimly as they came level with him. 

"One in the back's had his neck broken. Driver was shot with the gun belonging to the escorting officer. No sign of the gun, or the prisoner."

As Dani called it in, he glared at Alex. "Where is he?"

"How the hell should I know?" Alex slumped back against the car. "I betrayed him," he muttered miserably. "And now he's gone."

"So now what?" Dani hung up and stared at them, blankly shocked.

"Well I guess now we charge Alex here." Crews stared at him coldly. "Accessory to murder, kidnap and probably quite a few other things." 

"Are you crazy?" Dani looked startled, although Alex looked like he didn't care what happened to him either way.

"I think it might bring our friend back out of the woodwork."

Alex looked up at that. "I betrayed him. I sold him out. You really think he gives a toss what happens to me right now?"

"Crews?" Dani asked, doubtfully.

"He didn't use you," Crews murmured. 

"What?" Alex stared at him, uncomprehending.

"Back there. He could have used you, as a shield, as a hostage, whatever. He didn't." 

"So?"

"So, he doesn't exactly strike me as the sentimental type." Crews gestured to the car with its gruesome cargo. "So, I think he cares."

"I won't let you use me!"

"I have five dead civilians and two dead officers who say you don't have a choice." Crews glared at him, and then looked up angrily at the increasing noise of traffic. "What is it with this city, that everyone needs to communicate with their horns?"

"Someone's stopped on the other carriageway," Dani said, glancing out across the lanes of traffic. "Probably trying to get a look. Some people are just sick." She looked back at the scene of carnage, shaking her head. 

Alex though, was looking in the direction she had. At the car causing the second obstruction, beyond the lanes of still speeding vehicles. At the driver, who was staring not at the corpses or the squad car, but at him.

Yassen jerked his head, a beckoning gesture. Alex was across two lanes before the others realised what he was doing.

"It's him!" Reese yelled, trying to follow Alex through the traffic. But he was moving like a man possessed and she could only watch as he made it somehow unscathed though the roaring cars and trucks and threw himself through the open back window even as the car was accelerating away.

Reese stared at Crews, dumbstruck. Crews shrugged. 

"I guess he cared."

\--

It was late, by the time they closed the door behind them on the apartment no-one knew existed, one they'd never set foot in until now, a safe house.

Yassen hadn't spoken a single word to him since Alex had scrambled into the front seat next to him, two hours previously.

They stared at each other now, weight of events between them.

"I'm sorry," Alex said finally, brokenly, not expecting Yassen to forgive him easily.

"I need to be able to trust you Alex," Yassen replied quietly, after a beat.

"I know." Alex took a shaky breath. "Are you going to punish me?"

Yassen looked at him, taking in the abject misery of his expression, remembering the way Alex had thrown himself in front of him earlier. 

Scrubbed a tired hand over his face. "You know what? I've had enough of today," he sighed. 

Held out an hand, in silent invitation. Alex came forward, hesitant, tense, and Yassen folded him into his arms. As Alex finally accepted there was no rebuke forthcoming he relaxed into the embrace, holding him back tightly. 

"I'm sorry," he said again, a small voice against Yassen's neck.

"I know," Yassen sighed, holding him closer and burying his face in Alex's hair, breathing in the scent of him. "I know."

\--

There were five victim photos lined across the board now, linked by pins and string. Beneath them, on its own, an Interpol security alert, complete with blurry photograph and list of agencies currently keen to know the whereabouts of one Yassen Gregorovich.

Crews was peering at the picture, shaking his head. 

"I still don't see it."

Reese and Tidwell exchanged a look of bemusement.

"Seriously? He was right there. You didn't think - " Dani tailed off as Crews looked at her, blankly enquiring. "That there was a bit - of a resemblance - no?" 

"I think you're seeing things." Crews shrugged. "Too much caffeine. You should try citrus."

"So what about this kid?" Tidwell interrupted. "You think he's in danger?"

Crews looked thoughtful. "From Gregorovich directly? I'd say - no, I don't think so. From what he involves him in? That I can't say."

"Do we even know who he is?"

"As far as I can tell from the list of Gregorovich's known associates, he's a British citizen by the name of Alex Rider. But when I tried to go further - " Crews gestured helplessly. "His file's locked. CIA clearance only."

Tidwell looked over his shoulder automatically. "CIA? You're shitting me? What the hell are we getting involved in here?"

"It all leads back to Roman Nevikov," Crews insisted. "And the inference from Gregorovich when he was holding Detective Reese was that there's still one more hit to go. We work out who it is - maybe this time we can be waiting."

\--

Half asleep, Alex turned over in the unfamiliar bed, seeking warmth. But the sheet stretched vacantly away, and he came fully awake, peering through the half light. A movement in the shadows, and Yassen sat down on the bed, fully dressed.

"What time is it?" Alex blinked up at him sleepily. 

"Five. Go back to sleep." Yassen smoothed Alex's hair back from his eyes and kissed him. 

"Where are you going?"

"Oh, I have to pay a brief visit to a building site. And then to collect the final payment." He smiled, tiredly. "Time we left this city for a while, I think."

"Good." Alex wound his arms round Yassen's neck and tried to pull him back down into the warm bedclothes.

For a moment, Yassen let himself be coerced, let himself enjoy Alex's sleepy kisses, and the touch of his bare skin as the covers fell away. Then extricated himself, firmly but gently. 

"I won't be long. You can choose, if you want. Where we go next." 

"Paris," said Alex immediately, and Yassen laughed. 

"Fine. Paris then." He picked up his bag, walked over to the door. 

"They'll be watching for you," Alex blurted, aware of the futility of saying anything as pointless as 'be careful', but unable to stop himself.

Yassen paused in the doorway, half-smiled. "But not, I think, in the right places."

\--


End file.
